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According to Maryland State Police, employees at the Spring Grove State Hospital saw two men carrying hacksaws and crowbars walking toward the Hamilton building, which had been condemned in 1974 because of asbestos and lead.

Troopers said the men broke into the building at about 1:30 p.m. to look for copper. Baltimore County police alerted Spring Grove police to the 911 call, and hospital police officers conducted a search of the one-story building. They said they encountered the two men in the middle of the building -- one at ground level and another in the attic area.

Officers arrested the man on the ground level and identified him as Matthew R. Blizzard, 29, of Catonsville. Police said Blizzard was staying at a homeless shelter on the hospital grounds.

Troopers said they impounded a vehicle the assailants were using and were able to recover more than 130 pounds of copper pipe that had been collected by the men. Sold as scrap, the pipe would be worth about $400.

Authorities said they continued to search for the other man in the attic for hours, even preparing to send a K-9 unit inside. But shortly after 6:30 p.m., tactical assault officers were called into the building to warn the man of the K-9's impending release when police said he came out through a porthole in the roof, jumped to the ground and surrendered to a county officer and a state trooper.

Investigators identified the second man as Dennis W. Dyer, 43, of Dundalk.

Police said Dyer called his girlfriend from his cellphone in the attic to tell her he was surrounded, but he didn't know a state trooper was with her when she received the call. Police said he told her he gave himself up because he got thirsty.

Both men were charged with burglary, theft under $1,000, theft scheme and malicious destruction of property. They are currently being held on bond.